Lionfish invading the Atlantic Ocean (VIDEO)

While lions might be king of the African savannah, lionfish appearing to be taking their place as king of the Atlantic Ocean.

The invasive species, native to the Indian Ocean, is destroying reefs and marine life around the Caribbean and the East Coast of the United States.

“Without any known predators, and apparently no significant diseases or parasitic controls in Atlantic ecosystems, their numbers continue to skyrocket,” said Steve Gittings, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Sanctuary Program.

Lionfish, also known as Pterois, were likely introduced into the Atlantic by exotic fish collectors in Florida who dumped them in the water.

They are prodigious breeders, laying 30-40,000 eggs every few days.

The venomous fish eat away at coral and kill other fish with their sharp, poisonous fins - even making them dangerous for fishermen.

"The lionfish invasion is probably the worst environmental disaster the Atlantic will ever face," said Graham Maddocks, president and founder of Ocean Support Foundation, according to CNN.

The problem has become so large that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is holding a summit on how to deal with the fish beginning on Tuesday.